Nehemiah's new work: Maintenance!
Continuing my study of Nehemiah, we learned that he finished the physical labor of building the wall around Jerusalem. But wait, there's more! Once his work was done, there was the work of maintaining what he had built. Isn't that just like our lives? We think we have "arrived" in some area, finished a task, only to find that it isn't really over. And though the building process is difficult and wrought with challenges, maintenance brings its own set of issues. We cannot rest on our laurels, as tempting as it may be. There is always some more work to do. In chapter 8, we read that Ezra read God's Word to God's people. There was much rejoicing and worshiping. However, there was also weeping and grieving. It does not say why the Jews were weeping, just that they did so while hearing God's Word read aloud to them. "For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law." Nehemiah 8:9 My guess is that they were conv